Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

Ziaire Williams gave a little more insight in to the trip he and the rest of his teammates, speaking to Sports Illustrated. While the Lakers played some ball, Williams says most of the important stuff from the trip came off the floor, in all the team bonding and team meals, and obviously the window into the world of Luka Donćić.
That kind of thing is important for a team that is, for all intents and purposes, starting from scratch. And while teams like Minnesota have had a ton of turnover, the top teams in the conference, and a squad like Houston, still have a lot of continuity. So LA is playing catchup in that regard. Every bit helps.
But meanwhile, is Williams potentially the best option for the lakers at the remaining forward spot? There's certainly a strong argument to be made.
And from one Williams to another, the Lakers may have dodged a bullet when they rescinded their deal with the Hornets for Mark Williams. The (now) Suns center, who missed 22 games last year, is now going to miss months after undergoing shoulder surgery. There's still not a ton of insight out there about the details that got the Lakers to back out of that deal following Williams's physical?
Who cares? Point is, he's not here, and that's good for the Lakers.
And finally, Steve Ballmer made a lot of noise after the league handed down its punishment, threatening lawsuits and more. Well, Sunday he folded.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Ziaire Williams on the trip. Plus, is he the right guy to start?

SEGMENT 2: The Lakers dodged a bullet!

SEGMENT 3: Ballmer capitulates.

Photo Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images

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The Lakers are giving away a lot of bobbleheads this season. Like, a lot. Both for established stars like Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, and fan favorites from days gone by, like Kurt Rambis, Norm Nixon and even Paul Westhead.
The Lakers have done the bobblehead thing before, but not in this quantity during the season. And it's a reflection of how fan service and promotion are changing in the wake of the squad's Dodgerification (which is either continuing, or at the least, is continuing with plans already in progress, despite the upcoming sale).
And the Dodgers do the bobblehead thing a lot. Because they're incredibly popular, and a fun way to highlight players, both current and historical, as well as popular moments. They're a great way for the Lakers to honor players that can't get jerseys retired or statues out front. And more importantly, it naturally can get a person looking ahead to the next ownership era. Will they have the same respect for history as the Buss family has always had? That sort of attention to cultural history has always been a strong suit for the franchise, and appreciated by fans. So will the new guys be worthy successors in that regard?
Finally, earlier in the week we discussed Walker Kessler as someone who many are quite bullish on when it comes to performance this season. The range of reaction on the show's YouTube page was significant, from people believing Kessler is going to put up big numbers, and others that think the hype falls short.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The importance of Bobbleheads.

SEGMENT 2: Will new ownership honor team history?

SEGMENT 3: Expectations fair for Kessler?

PHOTO CREDIT: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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Good news out of El Segundo on Wednesday. The Lakers reportedly have hired (now former) Miami Heat executive Eric Amsler as another assistant general manager under Rob Pelinka.
Amsler spent two decades in Miami, a place that famously holds on to its executives for a long time. He has worked extensively in the scouting functions, which is definitely a place where the Heat have thrived. Few teams have been more adept at consistently finding inexpensive players who produce in highly defined roles than the Heat. (How well those players produce in other roles, as Lakers fans know, is a different story.) The Lakers, quite prominently, basically don't have a scouting department, which indicates that Amsler could be the guy tasked with changing that. (In the same way that Rohan Ramadas is geared towards analytics.)
So is this a good hire? Hard to say. How responsible is Amsler for Miami's relatively consistent success? Also hard to say.
But the Lakers are pulling from a good org, with a guy who has a resume indicating some skill at something they're missing. That's good.
And the big Q: What this means for Rob Pelinka? Probably nothing. Amsler doesn't profile as a typical "GM in waiting" type. Pelinka's viability going forward is likely based on the team's success this year, and if they run him out of town there's a good chance new ownership will be looking for much stronger, or at least prominent, candidates than Amsler.
But it's still a welcome development, and an indication that the concern over a hiring freeze while ownership sorts itself out may not be totally accurate.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers hire another assistant GM.

SEGMENT 2: Is Amsler a good add?

SEGMENT 3: What does this mean for Pelinka?

Photo Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

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On Tuesday's show, we talked about players like Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton or Cam Carr who could make a significant difference in how the Lakers finish the season. But none of those guys matter if the frontline dudes -- that's Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler -- don't perform as needed. And while Luka and Austin are more proven commodities in the NBA, Kessler isn't. He's never played in the playoffs, or even for a .500 team. Last year, he barely even played, because the Jazz were in no hurry to get anyone on the floor who might actually help them win games.
But that said, Kessler's impact numbers are undeniable, especially defensively, and there isn't a center on Earth that Luka hasn't made look significantly better. That includes the stiffs, and Kessler is decidedly not one of those.
So how good can he be? Lakers great Robert Horry, speaking at the team's golf tournament last week, thinks the answer is very good.
It's easy to agree, as well.
Meanwhile, Phil Jackson is getting a statute at Star Plaza at LA Live. He's obviously worthy, and one of the last guys you can think of from the organization who clearly merits the honor.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Walker Kessler needs to be good.

SEGMENT 2: Is Kessler a good bet to perform?

SEGMENT 3: The Lakers are giving Phil a statue.

Photo Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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The Lakers are expected to be good this season... but not good in a way people need to pay much attention to, according to the pundits and assorted tastemakers.
So in some ways, the fact that they're a brand new group that will, like all new groups, need time to gel is actually kind of beneficial. When you're not expected to come out hot, it's ok if you don't. Gives the team a little time to build things up. Underpromise and overdeliver. And one of the things that might help the Lakers prove some doubters wrong? Chemistry. It's hard to quantify, but for a team that needs to find every avenue to maxing out its talent, chemistry is a potential helpful tool. How quickly can the Lakers look like a group that has played some ball together?
That's one way the Slovenia trip can make a difference. It obviously won't put the Lakers on the same level continuity wise as some of their competitors, but it can get the a little further ahead than they otherwise might have been. Maybe the good vibes help the team pull things together a few weeks faster than they otherwise might. And it'll help them mesh faster with Luka's leadership, which makes a difference. Slovenia was a chance for them to learn about the guy who will be leading them this season, which is critical.
And finally, which newcomers have the potential to make the most impact this year? Former Lakers champ Danny Green has thoughts.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: A leadership boost for Luka?

SEGMENT 2: Why chemistry can matter.

SEGMENT 3: Difference makers?

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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